Several recent news articles have highlighted the huge amounts of money and effort expended because of service desires to design “the best” combat uniform. These efforts—often duplicative and contradictory—have wasted millions of dollars, but the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform has been the most successful. Unfortunately, the Corps copyrighted the design, preventing its use across the Department of Defense…It is time the Marines released their copyright to allow development of a single combat uniform for all services.

…writes retired Navy senior chief Jim Murphy in the latest issue of Proceedings, the journal of the independent U.S. Naval Institute.

Not only that – it’s patented. The Marines apparently take this stuff seriously, to judge from their Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Programwebpage.

The services all have distinct uniforms. They always have. In the last twenty plus years the services have begun wearing various battle dress utility uniforms for garrison assignments instead of service uniforms. Meaning, now the same 'cammies' are worn in garrison and the field.

Why shouldn't the services maintain distinct everyday uniforms? It isn't the Marine Corps' fault the came up with the best design first while the Army and Navy spent millions on designs that doesn't work.